Rivian spinoff Also will build autonomous delivery vehicles for DoorDash

Micromobility institution Also, which was created wrong Rivian and spun retired past year, volition enactment with DoorDash to make autonomous transportation vehicles, the companies announced Tuesday.

As portion of the deal, DoorDash took portion successful Also’s $200 cardinal Series C backing round, which was led by erstwhile capitalist Greenoaks Capital. DoorDash is getting a spot connected Also’s committee of directors, too.

The rise brings Also’s full backing to $505 million, and puts its valuation supra $1 billion. The startup got disconnected the crushed with a $105 cardinal concern from Eclipse, which is besides backing Mind Robotics — an outer concern AI institution that Rivian created precocious past year.

Also began arsenic a skunkworks task wrong Rivian successful 2022. The EV-maker initially acceptable retired to physique an electrical bike, and adjacent collaborated with Jony Ive’s plan steadfast LoveFrom, arsenic TechCrunch archetypal reported past year. Also’s archetypal merchandise is a high-end, funky-looking e-bike, but it has besides shown disconnected designs for small, pedal-assist transportation vehicles.

Amazon — which is simply a large capitalist in, and spouse with Rivian — placed an bid for thousands of these transportation vehicles precocious past year. Also has said these tin transportation much than 400 pounds of packages portion inactive being tiny capable to acceptable successful a motorcycle lane.

The DoorDash woody is the archetypal denotation that Also volition beryllium processing autonomous versions of its tiny electrical vehicles. Rivian laminitis RJ Scaringe and Also CEO Chris Yu told TechCrunch past twelvemonth that astir immoderate signifier origin was connected the array — wrong applicable limits.

Rivian and Also person said that the micromobility startup would leverage the automaker’s tech successful its products, arsenic good arsenic its retail beingness and economies of scale. It’s not wide if Also volition leverage the autonomy tech that Rivian has been moving on.

Rivian presently plans to usage a premix of cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and yet lidar to bring autonomy to its vehicles. And precocious past twelvemonth Rivian revealed it has developed its ain custom silicon and autonomy computer successful an effort to marque its ain vehicles progressively susceptible of self-driving. Scaringe has already hinted that Mind Robotics would usage this chip, truthful it’s imaginable that Also could arsenic well. TechCrunch has reached retired to some Rivian and Also and volition update this communicative if they respond.

It’s possible, that DoorDash volition grip the autonomous tech.

The institution has its ain autonomy section and spent respective years processing a robot conveyance called Dot that is equipped with lidar, radar, and camera sensors and tin autonomously thrust connected roads, motorcycle lanes, and sidewalks. The brightly colored conveyance with cartoon-like eyes tin question up to 20 miles an hr and is delivering successful the Metro Phoenix area.